Teacher vacancy rates at record high in England, report finds | Teacher shortages

Teachers in England are abandoning the classroom over worsening pupil behaviour, stagnant pay and inflexible working practices, leaving vacancies at their highest rate on record, according to a report. It warned that this month’s spending review was the government’s “last chance” to meet its manifesto pledge of hiring 6,500 additional teachers in state schools, as … Read more

Ukraine war live: Russian operation in Kursk is in final stage, Kremlin claims, as US negotiators head to Moscow | World news

Russian operation in Kursk is in final stage, Kremlin claims, as US negotiators head to Moscow Russia’s operation to eject Ukrainian forces from the western Russian region of Kursk has entered its final stage, state news agency Tass reported on Thursday, citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Russian president Vladimir Putin on Wednesday visited Kursk for … Read more

MP calls for inquiry into labelling of black pupils as ‘educationally subnormal’ | Education

The historic injustice of a scandal in which black children were incorrectly labelled “educationally subnormal” and sent to schools for physically and mentally disabled pupils must be addressed with a public inquiry, an MP has said. Kim Johnson, the Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, is calling on Keir Starmer to bring justice to survivors and … Read more

Australian visa under review of US influencer who was filmed snatching baby wombat from mother | Australia news

A US hunting influencer who shared video of herself snatching a baby wombat away from its mother is being investigated for a potential breach of her Australian visa. The footage, with scenes described as “callous” by the RSPCA and “pretty dreadful” by the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, showed the Montana-based influencer Sam Jones grabbing … Read more

As imports of semiconductor chips rise, India eyes local production

The Semicon India Programme, launched in 2021, aims to develop the semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem. | Photo Credit: FLORENCE LO At the World Economic Forum in January, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that India’s first domestically manufactured semiconductor chip will be rolled out this year. Through domestic production, India aims … Read more

Unregistered midwives face court charged with manslaughter after home-birth death of NSW baby | Midwifery

Two women who police allege practised as unregistered midwives have been charged with manslaughter after a baby died after a home birth on the New South Wales mid north coast. The women, aged 41 and 51, appeared in Coffs Harbour local court on Wednesday in relation to the newborn boy’s death in 2022. Emergency services … Read more

Campaign to bar under-14s from having smartphones signed by 100,000 parents | Children

An online campaign committing parents to bar their children from owning a smartphone until they are at least 14 has garnered 100,000 signatures in the six months since its launch. The Smartphone Free Childhood campaign launched a “parent pact” in September in which signatories committed to withhold handsets from their children until at least the … Read more

Decision not to classify Southport killer as a terrorist was right, says UK watchdog | Southport attack

The decision not to classify Axel Rudakubana as a terrorist following the Southport murders was right because it would be unhelpful to stretch the definition of terrorism to cover all extreme violence, the UK’s terror watchdog has concluded. Jonathan Hall KC wrote that the “legal definition of terrorism is already wide and should not be … Read more